Package assorting machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. R. SOUSA PACKAGE ASSORTING MACHINE \W w hm mmmw NW\N kw E NW 3 NI MSN. WQNN mm? .n.

March 13, 1951 Filed Nov. 16, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1951 J. R.SOUSA PACKAGE ASSORTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1948 Rw A IN VEN TOR.6*]0622/2602234,

March 13, 1951 J. R. sousA PACKAGE ASSORTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed NOV. 16, 1948 INVENTOR. cfarz/Z 602160,

ATTU RN EYE March 13, 1951 J. R. sousA PACKAGE ASSORTING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 16, 1948 R m m V m cforz/Z 6 02162,

ATTD RN EYE Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to parcel carriers or conveyors of the typeincluding sorting elements and adapted to handle packages of varioussizes, mail, and similar articles or devices, and in particular acarrier traveling in a horizontally disposed track with a plurality ofstations positioned in the track and with means positioned in thedifferent stations for tripping operating devicesfor arresting thecarrier, and also means for actuating the carrier to and from thestations.

The purpose of this invention is to provide improvements in sorting anddistributing parcel or package carriers wherein it is only necessary foran operator to press one button as he places a parcel in a carrier andthe carrier delivers the parcel to a selected station and immediatelyreturns for another parcel.

This invention is an improvement over the parcel sorting devices of myprior Patents #1521,- 405; #l,7l8,087; #1340378; and #1,838,460

In these parcel sorting devices of the prior patents and also in similardevices in the art, it has been difficult to set the trips and actuate acarrier to and from a station with a single button or lever,particularly as the reversing clutches require separate operating means.With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates a carrierrotatably mounted in a horizontally disposed track with the carrieroperated by cables and with the cables controlled by reversing clutchesoperated by trip instrumentalities at the different stations in thetrack.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an improvedparcel sorting and distributing carrier or conveyor wherein reversingclutches for returning the carrier are automatically operated as thecarrier reaches a station in which the trip elements have been set.

Another object of the invention is to provide carrier actuatinginstrumentalities in a parcel sorting conveyor in which two clutches areactuated by a single motor with one clutch operating means for taking acarrier to a station and the other clutch operating means for returningthe carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved trip mechanismfor parcel conveying and sorting device wherein a single button or leversets means for removing parcels from the carrier and also means forstarting the return movement of the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means formounting friction cone clutches in parcel sorting devices whereinforward and reverse clutches are mounted on a common shaft and operatedby clutch levers connected to a common bar.

A further object of the invention i to provide an improved parcelsorting device having automatic return clutches for a carrier therein,which is of a comparatively simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists of the new and useful combination, construction, andarrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described, set forth inthe claim appended hereto, and disclosed in the accompanying drawingsforming part hereof, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the improved parcel sortingconveyor with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a' similar view showing the upper part of the conveyor withonly one set of trip actuating instrumentalities thereon, with partsbroken away, and with other parts omitted for the purpose ofillustration;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the parcel sorting conveyor showing the tripof the last station thereof in the position of arresting the carrier;

Figure 4 is a detail showing the arrangement of the trip levers with thelevers set in the tripping position;

Figure 5 is a part longitudinal section through the conveyor with theends broken away and showing the carrier in the position of engaging thetrip levers with the levers set as shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a similar fragmentary section at the starting end of theconveyor illustrating the position of the lever for returning the tripactuating levers as the carrier returns to the starting position; Y I

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the trip andoperating levers with the trip of the last station set in the positionfor arresting the carrier;

Figure 8 is an end elevational view illustrating the relative positionsof the cone clutches and pulleys with the motor for operating theclutches and showing the clutches in the neutral position;

Figure 9 is a similar view through the upper part of the frame with thelower part broken away and with the clutches set in the position ofactuating the carrier forwardly to deliver a parcel to a station;

Figure 10 is a similar view, also with parts broken away, and showingthe clutches in the reverse position;

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the clutch shaft with theclutches shown in section and with the shaft in elevation and showingthe clutches in a neutral position and with parts of the mountingelements broken away;

Figure 12 is a similar view showing the clutches in the position ofactuating the carrier forwardly;

Figure 13 is a detail showing a side view of one of the hangers forsupporting the intermediate part of the clutch shaft;

Figure 14 is a cros section through th conveyor showing the parcelcarrier in one of the stations thereof;

Figure 15 is 'a detail showing a longitudinal section through theconveyor with the ends broken away and with the carrier therein shown inelevation;

Figure 16 is a detail showings. cushioning cylinder for arresting thecarrier at the end of its travel;

Figure 17 is a detailshowing a small cam on the side of the trailing endof the carrier;

Figure 18 is a detail illustrating the path of the cam shown in Figure17 as it passes over a trip lever of one of the stations;

Figure 19 is a similar view showing the trip lever set to engage thecam;

Figure 20 is a similar view showing the trip lever in the position towhich it has been moved by the cam in which position the parts arereleased and the return movement of the carrier is initiated.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the sorting parcel carrier of this inventionincludes a carrier Ii] having rollers H positioned to ride on tracks i2and-l3 with bars M positioned below the tracks for supporting operatingparts of the machine.

The rails l2 and I3 on which the carrier [6 is mounted by the rollers Hare supported in a frame having vertical posts connected, at the upperends, by horizontally disposed bars !6, and the extended ends of therails are supported by posts I! on which a platform I8 is provided forsupporting a motor I 9,

At the opposite end of the frame, and supported on the end post I5 is anupper frame having vertically disposed struts Ziland 2| which arepositioned on horizontal beams 22 and a transversely disposedhorizontally positioned beam 23 is mounted on the strut 26 which rovidesa support for the operating handles 24 which are pivotally mountedthereon bypins 25. The outer face of the bar 23 provides an area 26 fora name plate to correspond with the leversiZd.

The levers 24 are provided with arms 21 which are connected by rods 28to one arm of levers 29 and the levers are pivotally mounted by :pins-38 on a transverse beam 3!, as shown in Figure 3. The levers 29 arerigidly mounted on the pins 39 and the pins are also provided with arms32 which are connected by rods 33 to bell cranks 34 thatarepivotallymounted on a pin 35. The opposite arms of the bell cranks 34are connected by rods 36 to the ends of arms 31 which extend downwardlyfrom transverse shafts v3B on which fingers '36 are provided. The levers24 at one side are connected directly to the arms 3? by rods 36a, asshown in Figure 3. The fingers 39 are normally horizontally positionedand when one of the hand levers 24 is moved downwardly from the positionshown in Figure l to that shown in Figure 2,the rods, levers, and bellcranks actuate the shaft 38 to the position shown by the lastshaft shownin Figure with thefingers 39 extended vertically upward, in thismovement, the arms 31 move from the position shown by the two shafts 38to the position shown by the single shaft wherein the fingers 39 extendupward. In this position, a pin 40 on the inner surface of the arms 3'!engages a lever 4| which is pivotally mounted on a bar 42 by a pin 43.The lever 42 is also pivotally connected to a clutch bar M by a pin 45.The bar 42 may be provided with depending hooks 48 that may be used forholding parcels or the like, when desired.

The opposite ends of the shafts 38 are provided with arms 47 from thelower ends of which pins '48 extend and the pins 48 are positioned toengage projections 49 on trip levers 5B which are pivotallymounted bypins 5| on lower rails I l. The trip levers 5B are also provided withlaterally extending fingers 52 that are positioned to be'engaged by acam 53 on the lower rear corner of the carrier 16 when the shaft 38associated therewith has been turned with the fingers 39 thereofextended upward. It will be noted in Figure 18 that when the fingers 39are horizontally disposed so that the trip levers 50 hang downwardlywith the lower end resting on the shafts 38, the cam 53 passes over thefingers 52.

The clutch operating levers 4| extend vertically upward when the machineis inoperative and when a parcel has been placed in'the carrier and oneof the hand levers 24 is actuated, the pins 48 of the armslBT engage theassociated lever 41 moving all of the levers 4| with the bar 44forwardly, thereby actuating the clutch to start the operation of thecarrier. With the same movement thearm-Al on the opposite end of theshaft 38 moves upwardly to position the trip lever 50 so that the finger52 thereof is in the path of the cam 53, whereby the cam will raise the.trip'lever 5B, releasing the pin 48 so'that the pin and arm 41 willdrop downward actuating the arm 31 to release the lever 4|.

Arod 55 is connected to the end of the clutch operating bar-54 and theopposite end of the rod 55 is connected to a bellcrank 56 which ispivotallymounted by a pin v5'! in the brackets58 and the opposite'end ofthe bell crank is connected to a bar '59 which is connected to a spring69 in a "bracket El. The bar 59 is pivotally connected to the ends ofthe clutch levers 62 and 83 suspended from hangers 64 and 65 and thelevers areprovided with slots 66 and 6?, respectively.

The slots 65 and 61 arepositioned to receive pins .68 and 69 on rings 10and 'H of the sliding clutches l2 and 13, respectively. The clutch 12 is.provided with a cone shaped friction face l that is positioned toengage a conical inner surface 15 of a clutch pulley 76 which is freelymounted on a clutch shaft Ti. The-clutch I2 is slidable on and keyed tothe shaftby a clutch key '18 and resiliently held in'free position by'aspring '33. An inner'clutch collar 89 is positioned on the shaftintheclutch pulley and a thrust bearings! is positioned on the shaft 11'between the clutch pulley'and hanger 82. A-similar hanger 83 with athrust bearing 84 is positioned at the end of the clutch pulley 85 inwhich the clutch "I3 is positioned. The lower ends .of the hangers areprovided with slots, as indicated by the numeral .86 that receive theclutch shaft TI and the hangers are carried by a cross-bar 87, as shownin Figures 8, 9 and 10.

The clutch pulley 76 is driven from a cone pulley 88 on a jackshaft 89by a belt 90 and the clutch pulley-'85 is driven by "a belt from a conepulley 91 on a jackshaft92, as shown in Figure 8.

l, as shown in Figure 16.

5 The jackshaft 92 is driven from the motor l9 by pulleys A and B with abelt C and the jackshaft 89 is driven from the jackshaft 92 by gears Dand E which reverse the direction of rotation of the shaft 89 inrelation to that of the shaft 92.

The clutch shaft ll is provided with cable pulleys 93 and 94 over whichcables 95 and 96 are trained and similar pulleys 91 and 98 are providedat the starting end of the conveyor, and with the ends of the cablesconnected to the sides of the carrier It, as shown at the points 99 andHill, Figure 15, the carrier will travel backward and forward, as thecables are actuated. The sides of the carrier l are provided withhorizontally disposed rollers IOI that engage side flanges of the railsof the track to provide lateral guiding means to facilitate the travelof the carrier.

The staring end of the conveyor is provided with a crank "32 pivotallymounted in a bearing I03 formed in the upper rail of the side of theframe and this crank extends downwardly into the path of an angle m l onthe carrier wherein it will be engaged by the angle as the carrierreturns to the starting position. The crank is provided with adownwardly extending arm 15 that is connected to the clutch bar 44 by arod I05, as shown in Figures 6 and 14, and as the carrier returns to thestarting position, the crank I62 willbe moved upwardly and the bar 44will be drawn forwardly, positioning the levers 4| vertically andreturning the clutch operating levers to the neutral position.

The carrier I0 is also provided with a stop I01 that is positioned toengage a head H18 on a piston rod I09 of a piston H6 in an air cylinderThe cylinder is provided with a spring H2 and a bleeder opening H3 isprovided in the end thereof with a thumb screw 1 l4 having a point inthe opening providing a needle valve to regulate the flow of fluidthrough the opening. It will be noted that as the stop [Ell engages thehead 158 the travel of the'carrier 10 will be arrested and the cylinderwill provide cushioning means to reduce the striking force thereof.

The main supporting frame of the conveyor, formed by the members l andI6 is divided into stations with one of the shafts 38 in each stationand receiving bags or bins H5 may be provided below the track in thestation, wherein with the bag suspended by the hooks 66, parcels will bedropped therein as the carrier reaches one of the stations.

It will be understood that these sorting or distributing conveyors maybe used in batteries, positioned side by side or one above the other andeach unit may be of any suitable length, having any number of stationsdesired.

In use, the carrier l 0 is positioned at the starting end, as shown inFigure 1 and when one of the levers 24 is actuated, the shaft 38corresponding therewith, is turned with the fingers 39 thereon extendedupwardly, as shown in Figure 7, and with the trip lever 50 at theopposite end of the shaft elevated by the pin E8 on the arm 41. The pin48 provides locking means retaining the shaft in the position with thefingers 39 extended upwardly and with the levers 4i sloping forwardlyuntil the trip lever 56 is released. Drawing the arm 41 forwardly alsomoves the levers 4! thereby drawing the clutch bar 45 and pulling theclutch levers from the position shown in Figure 8 to that shown inFigure 9 wherein the clutch pulley 85 will rotate the clutch shaft and 4with the lever 24, that has been actuated, the

cam 53 will engage the finger 52, thereby elevating the trip lever 50and releasing the pin 48, at which timethe shaft 38 is released and thespring 60 draws the clutch bar 4 3 toward the clutch end of the frameand at the same time moves the clutch levers from the position shown inFigure '9 to that shown in Figure 10 wherein the, clutch pulley isreleased and the clutch pulley i6 is driven by the jackshaft 89, whichreverses the direction of travel of the cable, thereby returning thecarrier to the starting position. As the carrier arrives at the startingposition, itwill engage the crank I02 and, as hereinbefore described,return the elements to the neutral position in which the parts areinoperative.

It will be understood that modifications may" be made in the design andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What'is claimed is:

1. A parcel sorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposed track, acarrier mounted to travel in said track, said track including aplurality of stations, cables trained over pulleys at opposite ends ofthe track and connected to the carrier, means operating the cables,means in the operating means for reversing the direction of the travelof the cables and carrier, trip means at the stations for stopping thecable operating means to stop the carrier, a plurality of manuallyactuated levers positioned on a shaft extended across the starting endof the track, bell cranks pivotally mounted on a vertically disposedshaft at one side of the track, means independently connecting thelevers to the bell cranks, rods connecting the bell cranks independentlyto levers at the different stations for setting the trip means from thestarting end of the conveyor, means actuated by the trip means forstarting the said reversing means as the carrier arrives at the station,and means actuated by the carrier as it returns to the starting positionfor actuating the cable operating means to the inoperative position.

A parcel sorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposed track,having upper and lower rails, a carrier mounted to travel in said track,said track including a plurality of stations, cables at opposite sidesof the track trained over pulleys at opposite ends thereof and connectedto the carrier, means operating the cables, means in the operating meansfor reversing the direction of the travel of the cables and carrier,trip means at each station for removing parcels from the carrier, aplurality of manually actuated levers positioned on a shaft extendedacross the starting end of the track, bell cranks pivotally mounted on avertically disposed shaft at one side of the track, means independentlyconnecting the levers to the bell cranks, rods connecting the bellcranks independently to levers at the diiferent stations for setting thetrip means and starting the cable operating means from the starting endof the conveyor, means retaining the trip means in the position forremoving parcels from the carrier until the carrier arrives at thestation, means releasing the trip means and actuating the reversingmeans as a carrier arrives at the station, and means actuated by thecarrier as it returns to the starting position for actuating.theicableoperating zmeans-to ithe inoperative .position.

3. .A parcelsorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposed xtrackhaving upper and lower railspacarrier having rollers on the'sidesthereof mounted .to travel ain saidtrack, said track including ap'lura'lityzof stations, cables trained over pulleys at opposite ends'of the track and-connected to "the carrier, a clutch-shaft 'on whichthe pulleys at one end of the track are mounted,

cone clutchipulleys mounted on the clutch shaft, imeans driving the saidcone clutch pulleys in oppositedirectionatrip meansfor removing parcelsfrom the carri'eras the carrier arrives 'at a station, a pluralityofmanually actuated levers positioned on a shaft extended across thestarting end of thetrack, bell'cranks pivotally mounted on a verticallydisposed shaft atone sideof the track, means independently connectingthe levers to the bell cranks, rods connecting the bell cranksindependently to levers at thedifierent stations for setting :the tripmeans from the starting end of the conveyor, said setting meansincluding means for starting'one of the cone clutch pulleys to actuatethe carrier from the starting point to the station, and means releasingthe formercone clutch pulley and actuating another cone clutch pulley toreverse the directionof travel of the carrier as the carrier arrives atthe station in which the. trip means is'set to remove a parcel from thecarrier.

4. A parcel sorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposed trackhaving upper and lower rails, a carrier having rollers on the sidesmountedto travel in said track, said track including a plurality ofstations, cables trained over pulleys at opposite ends of the track andconnected to the carrier, a clutch shaft on which the cable pulleys atone'end of the conveyor are mounted, a pair of clutch pulleys mounted onthe clutch shaft, a pair of jackshafts positioned parallel to the clutchshaft'andspaced therefrom, means actuating the clutch shaft from thejackshaft through the cone clutch pulleys, means rotating the jackshaftin opposite position, trip means at the station for removing parcelsfrom the carrier, a plurality of manually actuated levers positioned ona shaft extended across the starting end of the track, bell crankspivotally mounted on a vertically disposed shaft at one side of thetrack, means independently connecting the levers to the bell cranks,rods connecting the bell cranks independently to levers at the differentstations for setting the trip means from the starting end of theconveyor, means actuating the clutch of one of the cone clutch pulleysby the trip setting means to start the carrier away from the startingend of the conveyor, and means actuating the clutchof the other coneclutch pulley to return the carrierto the starting position as thecarrier arrives at astation.

5. A parcel sorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposedtrack, acarrier with rollers thereon -mounted to travel in said track, saidtrack including a plurality of stations, cables trained over pulleys atopposite ends of the track and connected to the-carrier, a clutch shafton which the cable pulleys at one end of the track are positioned, apair of cone clutch pulleys mounted on said clutch shaft, a pair ofjackshafts having cone pulleys thereon aligned with the cone pulleys ofthe clutch shaft, belts on the said cone and clutch pulleys, gearsdriving one jackshaft in a direction opposite to that of the other,means driving the said jackshafts,

clutch .levers for-actuating the clutch elements or the coneclutchpulleys, a'spring for actuating the clutch levers to the positionof reversing the direction of travel of the carrier, trip means forremoving parcels :from Ethe' carrier, said trip means positioned at thestations, means setting the trip means and actuating the clutch leversfor starting the'carrier from the starting position to the station,means retaining the trip :means of the stations in the set positionuntil the carrier-arrives atthe station, and means r'eleasing theretaining means and springs as the carrier arrives at the stat-icninwhichthe trip means is set.

'6. A'parcel sorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposed track,a carrier with rollers thereon mounted to travel in said track, saidtrack including a plurality of stations, cables trained overpulleys atopposite ends of the track 'and'connected to the carrier, a clutch shafton the other, means driving the said jackshafts,

clutch levers for actuating the clutch elements of'the cone clutch,pulleys, aspring for'actuating the clutch levers to the position-ofreversing the direction of travel of the carrier,'trip means forremoving the parcels from'the carrier, said-trip means positioned atthestations, means setting the trip means and actuating the clutchlevers 'for starting the carrierrfrom the starting :position 'tothestation, means retaining the trip means of thestaticns-in thesetposition until the carrier arrives at the station, means releasingthe retaining means and springs as the carrier arrives at the station inwhich the trip means is set,

and cushioning means for stopping'the carrier as it returns to thestarting position.

7. Aparcel sorting conveyor comprisinga horizontally disposed track, acarrier with rollers thereon mounted to travel in said track, said trackincluding a plurality 'of s'tations, cables trained over pulleys atopposite ends of the-track and connected to the carrier, a clutch shafton which the cable pulleys at one end of the track are positioned, apair of cone clutch pulleys mounted on said clutch shafts, a pair "ofjacks'hafts having cone pulleys thereon aligned with the cone pulleys 0fthe clutch shaft, belts on'the said cone and clutch pulleys, gearsdriving one jackshaft, in'a direction opposite to that of the other,means driving'the said jackshafts, clutch levers for actuating theclutch elements of the cone clutch pulleys, a spring for actuating theclutch leverstotheposition of reversing the direction of travel of thecarrier, trip means for removing parcels from the carrier, said tripmeans positioned at the stations, means setting the trip means andactuating the clutchlevers for starting the carrier from the startingposition to the station, means retaining the trip means of the stationsin a set position until the carrier arrives at the station, meansreleasing -as it returns to the starting position for actuating theclutch levers whereby the clutch elements assume neutral positions.

8. A parcel sorting conveyor comprising a horizontally disposed track, acarrier with rollers thereon mounted to travel in said track, said trackincluding a plurality of stations, cables trained over pulleys atopposite ends of the track and connected to the carrier, a clutch shafton which the cable pulleys at one end of the track are positioned, apair of cone clutch pulleys mounted on said clutch shaft, a pair ofjackshafts having cone pulleys thereon aligned with the cone pulleys ofthe clutch shaft, belts on the said cone and clutch pulleys, gearsdriving one jackshaft in a direction opposite to that of the other,means driving the said jackshafts, clutch levers for actuating theclutch elements of the cone clutch pulleys, a spring for actuating theclutch levers to the position of reversing the direction of travel ofthe carrier, trip means for removing parcels from the carrier, said tripmeans positioned at the stations, a plurality of setting levers at thestarting end of the conveyor corresponding with the stations, meansconnecting the setting levers to the parcel removing means 9. A parcelsorting conveyor comprising a horia zontally disposed track, a carrierwith rollers thereon mounted to travel in said track, said track 10including a plurality of stations, cables trained over pulleys atopposite ends of the track and connected to the carrier, a clutch shafton which the cable pulleys at one end of the track are positioned, apair of cone clutch pulleys mounted on said clutch shaft, a pair ofjackshafts having cone pulleys thereon aligned with the cone pulleys ofthe clutch shaft, belts on the said cone and clutch pulleys, gearsdriving one jackshaft in a direction opposite to that of the other,means driving the said jackshafts, clutch levers for actuating theclutch elements of the cone clutch pulleys, a spring for actuating theclutch levers to the position of reversing the direction of travel ofthe carrier, transverse shafts in the stations having fingers thereonfor removing parcels from the carrier, means actuating the shaft to setthe fingers in the position of removing parcels from the carrier andalso for actuating the clutch levers for starting the carrier from thestarting position, means retaining the shaft with the fingers thereon inthe parcel removing position, and means releasing the shaft whereby theclutch levers are actuated to reverse the direction of travel of thecarrier as the carrier arrives at the station in which the fingers areset in the parcel removing position.

JOHN R. SOUSA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sousa Dec. 29, 1931Number

